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A high-speed crash that tore away the side of a car after it hit a concrete power pole critically injured its three occupants as they fled a Westside hit-and-run Wednesday, Jacksonville police said.

Three males in what appeared to be an older-model Crown Victoria were hospitalized after the car ran off North Old Middleburg Road, struck a utility pole and continued dozens of yards down the roadway. The impact tore the right side off the car, said Sgt. Mike White.

The rest of the car was flattened following the impact, and debris stretched down the road.

White said the car was fleeing after a hit-and-run rear-end accident about 9:50 a.m. at Lenox and Lane avenues. The car struck another vehicle from behind then took off after the driver of the other car asked them to stop.

That driver tried to get the fleeing vehicle's tag number, but it sped away.

There was no pursuit by police and no other vehicles involved when the car left the road at Old Middleburg and Memorial Park Road.

White said police did not have the identities of the males in the car.